Of Gods and Yordles
by BeeJay98
Summary: Kennen has never met another yordle in Ionia. Yes, he has his friends at the Institute, but that isn't the same as living amongst his own kind. However, when fate seems to give him an opportunity out of the blue, should he take it? So many question lay unanswered, and how faith can he put in a stranger? (M for possible mature themes)
1. Chapter 1

**So, to those of you who are new to this story, HI! I hope you enjoy the story. If you read the first chapter a while back, you may notice some changes...**

 **So, originally this was a 'NSFW casual story', but as I began writing more I got super into the story and it has definitely changed pace. Expect it to be similar to my other stories (Sentimental, Heart of the Jungle, The Heartseekers for those of you who haven't read them [Check them out!]).**

 **That out of the way, this chapter is still the same, so you are still up to date :)**

 **PS: Since I haven't mentioned this in a while, I own absolutely nothing in any of my stories! Well, except my OCs I guess, but eh, they are in Riot's world so they can have them if they want! Likewise this title as inspired by the title of the movie 'Of Gods and Men', just to give them credit too.**

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Chapter 1

"You're an idiot." The words were probably a tad harsh, but the more he thought about it, the more Kennen felt them fitting. It wasn't often the Heart of the Tempest found himself in the company of friends outside of the Kinkou, and even less common for them to all be yordles. Yet here he sat, drink in hand, at the same little bar his parents once visited in the confines of Bandle city, sharing stories with his fellow miniature champions. The latest story had come courtesy of Rumble, the mech-rider sharing yet another tale about how he attempted to spite Heimerdinger. As soon as he started there had been a communal groan; they had heard similar stories a hundred times before. All of them except Kennen, who listened intently to the other yordle describe in full graphic detail, and with no small degree of onomatopoeia, how he had stormed a lab in 'Tristy', only to find out that it wasn't in fact Heimerdinger's, and then found himself running for dear life as Jayce chased him from Piltover all the way back to Bandle city.

"Pfft, like you have a better story to tell!" Kennen actually had numerous stories he could have told, from the stupid antics Akali and him got up to, to any of the missions and adventures Shen and himself had together. Then there was the Institute and his connections with them, so Rumble's words weren't really that hurtful. Kennen however just chose to shrug, taking another swig of his drink. He quite liked the taste of the sweet brew, very unique to Bandle city. Alcohol was not overly popular with the tiny race, their anatomy making them inherent light-weights, so they instead found pleasure in the mixture of different fruits and juices, which thanks to the impact of the Fey were in no short supply in the region. There were so many different varieties with different flavours that they eventually stopped naming them, now instead referring to them by whoever it was that farmed them. It had seemed very odd to Kennen at first, but he was now onto his fourth of the night, and was enjoying it immensely. He realised exactly how much he had forgotten about Bandle city in his time away.

Another particular aspect of Bandle city he had missed seemed to walk by every couple of seconds. In all his time in Ionia, Kennen had never seen another yordle, which in the case of Teemo or Rumble, wasn't such a bad thing. However, it also meant Kennen hadn't had a genuine girlfriend, or even so much as a fling, in his entire life. He would never admit it openly of course, the ridicule would be the end of him, but as he finally found himself in the company of his own kind, he couldn't help but ogle the occasional by-passer, he simply hoped he was subtle enough so as not to be noticed. A little more time passed, but Kennen soon began to feel the effect of his drinks catching up with him, and not too long after that he stood, saying his farewells as he made to leave.

"Hold up! I want to come with." Tristana stood up, making her way towards Kennen. A commotion behind her caught her attention, and turning around she saw both Rumble and Teemo stand up as though ready to follow, before turning on each other in anger. Trsitana just sighed.

"Boys, I'm going with Kennen, so sit down." The two males obediently resumed sitting, now refusing to make eye contact with each other. Kennen smiled, raising an eyebrow at Tristana who just shrugged.

"Boys." She muttered under her breath before leading the way out of the small bar. The streets of Bandle city were surprisingly quiet for the time, only the odd person making their way down the pathways, always smiling or whistling. Yordle society always seemed too positive in Kennen's opinion, as though they never truly respected the darkness in the world. However, he was also very aware he saw a lot more of that darkness than the average yordle. Tristana and him walked for some time in companionable silence, Kennen taking in the details he had forgotten during his time in Ionia, while Tristana seemed off in her own little world. Eventually she stopped, grabbing Kennen's wrist.

"Ok sparky, what's the story? I don't think a single female yordle walked past without catching your eye, myself included." Kennen blushed at having been caught, and he could have sworn Tristana blushed a little as well, yet she continued.

"While I am flattered that I seem to have caught your eye, a yordle's eye should roam above the waist sometimes." Kennen was glad Tristana was a close enough friend to be nice about it, working her way around the simple truth; he had been caught staring at her ass. Kennen sighed, resting up against the wall and throwing his head back onto the brickwork. It wasn't hard, and no pain followed, but it was enough to clear his mind a little. He needed to fix his romantic life, and what better place to start than with the truth?

"I haven't spent any casual time with yordles in, hell, I can't even remember how long! I got carried away I guess, sorry." Tristana smiled weakly, coming over and standing next to Kennen. Tilting his head, she gave him a quick kiss.

"You are a very attractive yordle Kennen, and maybe if you weren't always in Ionia I'd give you a shot. However, you are, and I have more than enough men in my life to deal with. Why don't you just try, I don't know, talking to them rather than staring them up?" Kennen chuckled, and even Tristana let a warm smile out.

"They'll all say the same thing you said; I come from Ionia." Tristana looked pensive for a moment.

"What about Poppy? She's in Demacia, surely she'd be more understanding of your position." Kennen just shuddered at the thought, causing Tristana to giggle.

"Poppy? There is no way that'd work. Sure, she's cute and everything, but someone who can spend their whole life looking for something that is right under their nose doesn't sound like the kind of person for me."

"Well, not Poppy then, I'm sure I have more friends that you could consider." The two continued their walk, Tristana listing off her available friends while Kennen continually turned all of them down. Eventually they reached Trsistana's house, and she sighed in defeat.

"I don't know Kennen, I really just want you to have a normal relationship." Kennen just laughed.

"Trist, nothing in our life is normal. I'll be fine once I'm back in Ionia." They hugged it out, Tristana offering him another small kiss before making her way into her home.

The walk back to where Kennen was staying was a quiet one. What he had assumed was to be a peaceful night with friends had quickly turned into one of overcoming life's hurdles, which seemed to put unnecessary stress on the poor yordle. He simply wanted to return home, back to the routine that he knew, where he didn't have to worry about girls or any of the other troubles stewing over in his mind. Once finally inside the small room he was renting, he threw himself onto his bed and closed his eyes. While the plan was to sleep, his body seemed to have different plans, and he simply couldn't bring his mind to stop wandering. Conceding, he resolved to go for a walk, hoping the cool night air could return him to his senses. There was no light in this area of Bandle city, most of the residents fast asleep at this time. It didn't really bother Kennen, he had learnt to operate under the cover of darkness many times amongst the Kinkou, but it did give the usually vibrant city a melancholy feel. He spent his time admiring his surroundings, the shops, parks and houses that characterised the city. He would press his nose up to the window of the candy stores, like many a young yordle would do on a daily basis. He took time to wander through the parks, the incredible flora bringing a serene smile to his face. It was so foreign to him now, and he found it hard to believe this and Ionia could exist so close together.

It was for this reason that he was incredibly surprised to stumble upon something very Ionian; a temple. Yordle's were not particularly religious. They had the Fey, of course, but that wasn't something they took time out of their lives to worship. The closest the yordle's had to a devotee would have been Lulu, and nobody was quite able to understand what her teachings were. His curiosity piqued, Kennen made his way into temple, surprised to find it still open at this hour. The hall itself seemed completely empty, so Kennen made his way towards the front of the temple, taking a knee before the altar. He had no idea who this temple was dedicated to, but Ionian tradition had instilled in him long ago one must always make a prayer to the deity of a temple, so as to appease them. So, acting on a whim, Kennen spoke a few soft words, the same words he used in most Ionian temples. He was used to the feeling of fulfilment one received upon praying in the Ionian temples, but this was different. He actually felt _something_ brushing over him, as though a breeze had picked up within the temple. Then came the voices, simple whispers but with an evident, excited edge. Taken aback by the reaction to his words, he stood quickly and made to leave the temple, voices still whispering in the back of his mind. He stepped out of the door, back into the cold night, and the voices ceased. Confused and curious, Kennen returned to his room, determined to sleep off his time at the temple.

He was awoken the next morning by the sound of knocking. Dragging himself out of bed, Kennen managed to find his way to the door, opening it. Tristana let herself in, pushing past the yordle and making her way towards the small couch in the room he was renting. She casually flung her legs up onto the coffee table, eyeing him up and down.

"You always sleep in so little?" Kennen took the chance to look at himself, now embarrassed that he had answered the door in his underwear. As he changed he quietly thanked the gods that it had only been Tristana and not some other yordle, which reminded him of the night before.

"Hey Trist, what is that temple on the far side of town?" Tristana popped her head into Kennen's room, causing him to quickly cover himself from her gaze.

"That old place? I don't even think you can go inside there anymore, too run down. Why you asking?" Kennen finished putting on the last of his clothes before answering.

"I made my way there after our walk last night. I prayed a little, and something weird happened." Tristana laughed.

"Yeah, something weird did happen, you started praying in a temple in Bandle city. Honestly, you need to spend more time outside of Ionia." Kennen laughed, although he wasn't entirely satisfied with her answer. He knew there had to be more to that temple, but he couldn't put his finger on what it could be. His thoughts were cut short by another knock on his door. Tristana turned her head to the noise.

"Ooh, you expecting some company sweetie." Kennen brushed past her, pinching the tip of her ear in a playful gesture before opening the door.

To say everything exploded would be a slight over-reaction, but there certainly were fireworks. A hundred purple sparkles came flying into the room, ricocheting of tables and chairs while making strange whizzing noises. Following this was a loud crash as a ball of yordle came flying into the room, all but ruining the poor little coffee table. Lulu stood up and fixed her hat, offering a place on the brim for Pix to sit. Kennen and Tristana just stood staring for a moment, too dumbstruck for words.

"Pix, you said you knew where you were going! You haven't been eating the yellow turnips again have you?" There was a mixture of peculiar buzzing and whistling noises as Pix communicated in his incomprehensible language. Lulu just nodded.

"Sure, I totally believe that, why are we with Kenken and Tristy then?" Kennen winced at his nickname, not even sure where it came from. It wasn't even shorter than his actual name! Tristana on the other hand seemed to recover from her daze, rushing over and slamming the door before turning to the yordle mage, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Lulu, are you mad! You aren't supposed to be inside the city." Lulu muttered something into Tristana's palm, causing the latter to pull the appendage back, flicking it to remove the saliva that was all over it. This allowed Lulu to keep talking, not bothering to clarify what she had said into Tristana's hand.

"And then Pix was like 'but it could be important', which he never says, because he thinks everything a joke. So I decided to see if it was going to be purple or not, because if it's purple anything goes, and…" Tristana clamped her hand back over Lulu's mouth, silencing her.

"You know, I suddenly really don't care. I'm getting you out of here." Tristana turned to Kennen, offering a sorry smile.

"When do you leave for Ionia?" Kennen screwed his brow up at first before realisation dawned on him. He was supposed to be leaving for home today. Rushing over to check the clock, he almost fainted at the sight.

"Shit, I'm leaving in an hour!" He didn't waste any more time, flying around the room at the speed of sound as he packed and cleaned. Tristana laughed at his mess.

"Well, I'm going to get this one out of here, so I guess I'll see you around." Tristana made to leave only to be cut off by Kennen dashing up and giving her a kiss. Tristana was a little taken aback, her hands dropping to her sides, which sadly triggered Lulu's ability to speak again.

"Pix, they're drooling all over each other! That's disgusting!" The mood convincingly ruined, Kennen pulled away, rushing back to his tasks. Tristana smiled to herself, exiting the room, Lulu in tow.

The trip back to Ionia was a slow one, but Kennen was glad to have Bandle city behind him. As much as he enjoyed the change, especially being able to spend so much time with other yordles, he was glad to be free of his worries. The air of Ionia had always done his soul well; at least that was how Akali had put it. Ever since his first steps in the foreign land, he had felt a hundred tonnes lighter. He could run faster, jump further and fight longer than he could anywhere else in Valoran. Most importantly however, he never felt happier than when he was amongst the ancient cities and dense forests that marked his home. He arrived in a small port town on the morn of his third day after leaving Bandle city, and that evening he found himself entering the temple that the Kinkou order now called home. It wasn't the most spectacular of temples, but it was the most practical, with plenty of areas for training as well as enough spare rooms to accommodate a large number of soldiers. Kennen took a deep breath; he was finally home. He made his way towards his living quarters, earning himself a series of respectful bows from those he passed. He tested the handle to his door to find it open.

 _Strange, I could have sworn I locked it._ This was the only thought that ran through his head before being swept off his feet by a very enthusiastic ninja.

"You're finally back! You know I've been worried sick about you?" Kennen blushed a little trying desperately to pull free from Akali's grip.

"Geeze, you treat me like a child, I'm fine! Please put me down." Akali pouted and set Kennen down on the floor, after which she gave him a normal, less excited hug.

"I'm just glad you're home." Kennen smiled.

"As am I."

The next few days past by quickly without much actually happening. Shen returned to the Kinkou from the Institute two days after Kennen's return, glad that the three of them were finally together again.

"The balance of Ionia has been restored." Was the way he had put it, and although they weren't sure they quite deserved such a title, Kennen and Akali were happy to take it as a compliment. They returned to their operations like normal, enforcing the law when they could while negotiating with the order of shadows, who at least had chosen not to fight them anymore. Zed was mostly at fault for this, suddenly seeking peace with his old friends. How quickly times can change. Kennen however, not being one for negotiation, found himself quite bored over the following month. He spent most of his down time talking with Akali, partly about benign topics and partly about what Tristana had said on his trip.

"Kennen, don't worry yourself on such trivial matters. If there is a girl out there for you, then you two will meet. Fate will make sure of that." Kennen had always known Akali to be significantly more religious than himself, so while he did not necessarily trust fate to make his love life better, he at least could appreciate her sentiment and what she was trying to say. Come the end of the season Kennen found himself returning to the Institute as a representative for Ionia, although he made sure to aid Bandle city when he got the chance. He liked the opportunity to see his fellow yordles once more, making sure to spend more time with them than normal, Tristana especially. The latter likewise seemed to make a point of spending time around him, even suggesting that they try and work on some bot-lane synergy, which although they weren't the best pairing, at least they had a good amount of enthusiasm as they tried it. After three weeks of competition all champions were given a break and allowed to return to their home state. Most champions jumped on this opportunity, but Shen and Akali had different plans.

"We're going to travel to Demacia over the break." Kennen had raised an eyebrow initially as Akali stated their intention.

"Why? Is there any official business?" Akali blushed a little.

"No, Shen and I just wanted to try some travelling together. When we are in Ionia we are so formal, we were just hoping to spend some time with each other." Kennen nodded his head in agreement, but inside he knew their true incentive. If they were to return to Ionia, he would be there too and therefore they'd feel obliged to do stuff with him and the Kinkou, which meant less time with each other doing things Kennen really did not want to think about.

So, come the start of his minor holiday, Kennen found himself faced with a decision; return to Ionia alone, or find some other place to go. Thus, on the last evening before he planned on leaving, he found himself standing outside Tristana's room, deciding whether or not it would be too awkward to ask her to spend the holiday with him. She was the closest thing he'd had to a crush in, well, his entire life. The idea of spending the holiday with her was somewhat exciting. You can imagine how far his spirits fell when the door was opened by Rumble.

"Hey there Kennen, what's up?" Kennen put on his smile, trying not to let himself seem down.

"I was just hoping to talk to Trist before the holiday. Are you two…" Rumble beamed, puffing out his chest proudly.

"Yep, she's coming with me to Piltover. That ought to show that stupid Teemo." Kennen laughed, hoping it sounded less forced than it felt. He was somewhat relieved to see Tristana walk around the corner, smiling widely as she saw Kennen.

"Kennen! I thought you would have left already. What's up?"

"Just wanted to see what you were planning on doing for the break, thought if you had no other plans you and I could do something, but I hear you are heading to Piltover." Kennen could have sworn Tristana's smile faltered for a heartbeat, as though in regret, but with a shake of her head her smile returned,

"Yeah, Rumble here had been wearing me down for a while so I decided I should go. Sorry to hear you don't have any plans." Kennen just waved off the comment.

"Nah, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You have fun." With that he made his leave, not wanting to have to hang around Rumble and Tristana anymore.

Two days later he was once again in his room with the Kinkou order, now feeling completely and utterly alone. He technically didn't even have the authority to organise missions, so he was stuck training and wasting time around the temple. Needless to say, it was not the best way to spend your break. That evening he found himself lying on his bed staring out of the window at the stars, wondering what all of his friends were up to. He could imagine Shen and Akali heading out for dinner at some up-market Demacian restaurant, enjoying their time as a couple. He couldn't imagine Rumble to be an overly good romantic, but neither could he imagine Tristana as being into that sort of thing, so who knew what they were up to.

" _Help."_ Kennen shot up in his bed, instantly looking around the room. The noise had been eerily quiet, lower a whisper. He looked around his room for any possible intruders. Standing up and walking to the door, he spared a glance outside, but everything was business as usual, the night patrol making their regular rounds. He was about to close the door when he heard it again.

" _Help."_ This time Kennen was convinced he wasn't hearing things. He quickly pulled on the nearest clothes he could find, which thankfully weren't his purple robes (He had never quite got used to the colour). He rushed out the door and locked it behind him, turning his ear to the sky in an attempt to her something. Hearing nothing, he did the next thing that came to mind and started to head towards the guard station to get some people out to search.

" _No time, hurry."_ Kennen instantly turned around, swearing the voice was right behind him, the voice coming just behind his ears, but as he turned there was nothing there. This was all becoming a little confusing for Kennen, who now had no idea what to do next.

" _Please, hurry!"_ The voice was urgent but still quiet. This time though Kennen had an inkling of a thought, an idea foreign and unnatural that seemed to form existence from nothingness. Before he could stop himself, he started running, letting the strange thought and his instincts take him through the forest. The whispers had stopped but the idea only grew as he ran, and now he could picture it, two heavily armed men in a clearing that he somehow knew was up ahead. The thought would usually have made him stop and reconsider, but he was full of too much adrenaline to stop at the moment. He burst out from the trees, letting his blades move of their own free will. The first soldier fell within a heartbeat, Kennen's blade playing across his neck in one swift motion. The other soldier turned from whatever his attention had been on previously to the small yordle, drawing his sword as he did so. He went to yell something, but was silenced in a matter of seconds.

Kennen looked at his handiwork, frowning. They weren't of any official Ionian clan, and they hardly had the skill to be considered true warriors. More likely they were mercenaries, so why had he been called out here? A slight scuffling behind him caught his attention and he turned on the stranger, blades drawn just in case. The small figure cowered back at the sight, but Kennen could not hold his stance, dropping his blades. Before him stood the first yordle he had ever seen in Ionia. Putting his hands out defensively, Kennen made to approach the cowering yordle.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, are you alright?" The yordle looked up, large blue eyes filled with the starting of tears, but the yordle did not look sad.

"You killed them…" It was then Kennen realised something that he probably should have realised at the start; the yordle was female. As he took the time to look at her he was disappointed in himself for not seeing it sooner, her light purple skin and relatively furless body pointing to her as far more likely to be female. Kennen took another step forward, and she took another step back.

"Who are you?" Her question was honest enough, and Kennen was more than happy to answer.

"I am Kennen, agent of the Kinkou order. Did you not call for my aid?" The yordle shook her head furiously, clearly surprised to find somebody had heard her silent pleas. Kennen's heart sank, fear gripping him.

"You mean, these men weren't…" The she yordle jumped up, shaking her head even more.

"No! They ambushed me and threatened to…" She shivered, but continued.

"I am glad you came, I just wasn't prepared for it."

"So you definitely didn't call for help?" The yordle shook her head again, Kennen now getting really confused.

The she-yordle wiped her eyes clean before she started to fidgeted a little. She looked over her shoulder and took a small step back.

"Anyway, I am very thankful for your help, but I must be going." This shook Kennen from his musings, instantly jumping to a response.

"What? You were just ambushed, and you are leaving already?" The she-yordle nodded, slowly taking steps back.

"I am very glad for your help, but I have to go." She turned to leave but Kennen called after her.

"Wait! I didn't even get your name!" The she-yordle stopped and turned, although she clearly was trying to get away as fast as possible.

"Trust me, you don't want to go down that path." This caught Kennen a little of guard. What was she implying? He sped up to meet her so that they didn't have to yell through the trees.

"What do you mean? I told you my name, it's only fair you tell me yours." The she-yordle shifted uncomfortably.

"I can't tell you that, sorry, now I really should be going."

"How long have you been in Ionia?" The she-yordle glared at Kennen.

"Are you actually listening to anything I'm saying?" Kennen smiled.

"Yes, and I'm not accepting it. You are the first yordle I've ever seen in Ionia, myself excepted. Now I saved your life, the least you could do is let me buy you a drink and tell me something about yourself." The she-yordle's cheeks started to glow red and her jaw practically hit the ground, even Kennen blushed a little at his sudden confidence.

"Please believe me when I say I would if I could, but I genuinely can't."

"Have you chosen a mate?"

"What? No!"

"Do you have someone in mind?"

"Please stop asking so many questions!"

"Then I see no reason why I can't treat you to one drink." The she-yordle sighed in resignation, realising there was no reasoning with the persistent ninja.

"I can't believe I am saying this, but fine, one drink, but after that I'm gone." Kennen smiled, figuring that at least gave him one more chance to convince her to give him a chance.

"Done, you free tomorrow?" The she-yordle raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you think that seems a little desperate?"

"I was thinking more excited." She shook her head and allowed herself a small laugh.

"Tomorrow should be fine, you have any preference on place?" Kennen gave her the address of a small bar in a nearby village, a particular favourite amongst the Kinkou.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." And with that she took off, not allowing the curious yordle to delay her anymore.

Kennen stood their smiling for some time before he began to come back to his senses. The adrenaline that had been pumping from the fight slowly dissipated and he began to realise what he had done. He had asked somebody out, but not just anybody, a female yordle from Ionia. It seemed so farfetched Kennen had to pinch himself to remind him this wasn't a dream, and what he though happened had actually transpired. As he calmed down even more, he began to have second thoughts. If the yordle hadn't called for help, who had he heard? What kind of magic had led him through the forest to find her? Why had she been so desperate to leave after he had just saved her? Kennen rubbed his temple, he was tired, and such thoughts could wait for another time. He slowly made the walk back to the temple, trying to remember the path he had taken to get there. Once back he threw himself onto his bed, trying to shut his mind away from the events of that evening.

" _Thank you."_ There it was again, that same whisper in the back of his mind, causing him to sit up suddenly. He shook his head free of the thoughts. If he wanted to know what was happening, he'd just have to wait until tomorrow.

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 **Yeah, I know, I'm writing with another OC, sorry if that doesn't float you boat. I assure you there will be plenty of non-OC action later as well.**

 **I originally said I'd take recommendations for things, yeaaaaaah, well not for this story. If you have a recommendation let me know though, I'll happily write it (Sentimental was born out of a recommendation!)**

 **Please RFF, or pop me a PM if you want to talk about the story. Also, please check out my other stories if you liked this, you won't be disappointed!**

 **Looking forward to hearing from you,**

 **BJ**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well will you look at that, I am still alive! Who knew?**

 **Seriously though, I am back, and I am uploading a whole 4 chapters today! Two for this and two for the Heartseekers.**

 **If you are here having read the first chapter ages (as in, literal months) ago, may be worth going back and reading the authors notes again, some things have changed. Chapter is the same though, so if you don't care about me ( SAD FACE :( ) you can just keep reading.**

 **Enjoy, and I'll see you at the end of the next chapter!**

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Chapter 2

What the hell was he thinking? Kennen was currently pacing up and down his quarters, less than an hour until he was expected to meet, well, somebody. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time, cute yordle whom he'd just saved, but time had done little to reward his confidence. Firstly, he knew absolutely nothing about her aside from the fact she'd been attacked, which given the suspicious way she'd responded was probably a cause for concern. Secondly, she had actively advised against seeing her again, and he'd done it anyway. That usually didn't bode well for dates. Thirdly, and the one that seemed to torment him the most, hadn't he just begun to realise he had a crush on Tristana? What would she think if she heard of what he was doing? Every way he looked at it, seeing this girl was bad news.

Yet in spite of this he was excited. He'd never been faced with an opportunity like this, was he really willing to throw it away because of a childish crush on a girl who already had two devoted yordles hanging off her at every waking moment? No, he would go on this date and make sure he enjoyed it. Besides, the she-yordle had hardly seemed thrilled at the idea of a date; it was perfectly possible it wouldn't go past the first, in which case he was free to hopelessly pursue Tristana. Kennen sighed, was this really what he had been reduced to? At least a date was a step forward.

The bar he'd decided to take her to was one he had spent his fair share of time at over the years. Akali had been the one to initially recommend it to him, the joint home to many foreigners who were less likely to look down upon the yordle. He figured if he was to show up with a date, this place was the least likely to give him a hard time for it. He waited patiently, watching the clock as the hand slowly ticked by, finally allowing himself to breath easy once it was time for him to leave. No more waiting and wondering, now it was time to see what would happen. It didn't take him long to reach the place, resting up against the outside wall and waiting patiently for his date to appear. After a while he began to fear he'd been stood up, which seemed perfectly possible given her attitude towards the date. But just as he began to worry he saw a familiar figure approaching, her face deadly serious. Kennen hoped to change that, smiling broadly at the she-yordle.

"I was worried for a moment that you weren't going to show." He was met with a grunt, the she-yordle averting her eyes.

"Well, it certainly crossed my mind, but you did save my life. Should we go in?" She went to push past Kennen, but he put his arm up stopping her.

"First things first, I need a name, even a false one. It is ridiculous talking with somebody if you don't know what to call them." She sighed, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly, as though unsure how much she should say.

"My name is Feykin." Kennen smiled, dropping his arm.

"Feykin, that's a nice name." Feykin blushed, trying to hide the red tint by heading into the bar, although Kennen noticed, a smile gracing his face as he followed her into the bar. It was pretty quiet, not that Kennen could ever remember the place being busy. There was the occasional merchant party that would pass by, filling the room all by themselves, but this was not one of those times. There were a couple of regulars that Kennen recognised, but mostly the few people there were travellers looking for a drink. The pair took a seat at one of the tables beneath a window. Kennen made sure Feykin was seated and comfortable before sitting himself, feeling a little awkward with the situation. Feykin chuckled lightly to herself, a sense of sympathy passing between the two.

"You know, when you suggested a date I thought you at least knew what to do." Kennen sighed, not even attempting to deny it.

"I've never really done this before, sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I'm not doing much better." The two ordered a drink and something to eat, Kennen a little surprised to find she was happy to have something alcoholic.

"What's so wrong with it? If humans can do it, why can't we?" She had argued when questioned. Kennen just put his hands up in defence.

"You are preaching to the converted, you wouldn't mind telling my friends at the Institute that some time?" Feykin furrowed her brow.

"You're a member of the Institute? I thought you said you were a member of the Kinkou?" Kennen nodded, standing up so as to place their order.

"Both actually, it's an interesting story if you want to hear it." Feykin nodded, Kennen swearing he could have seen the first traces of a smile on her face, but they were gone just as quickly. He returned not long after with their drinks, the two indulging in the beverages a little before Kennen cleared his throat to tell his story, the alcohol already having the desired effect and loosening his tongue a little.

"My parents once told me that in my first moments of life I managed to dash both out of the womb and away from the midwife, and I've never stopped dashing since then. It was more than just simply having energy though, I spoke to countless mages across the years and none could justify it. None that is save the Kinkou, who spoke of an ancient position held by one of their order; the heart of the tempest. Long story short, I get to run around as I please, and earn respect for doing so." Feykin nodded, following along and acting with surprisingly little, well, surprise.

"Is that why you joined the Institute? You want people to respect you?" Kennen shook his head immediately before considering the question more deeply.

"I left Bandle City at a very young age and never really explored the rest of Valoran. Ionia was my home, and when the Institute approached the Kinkou asking for representatives, I was quick to jump on board. I suppose you could call it curiosity more than anything."Feykin nodded again, taking another sup of her drink. Deciding he'd said enough about himself for the time being, he tried to test the waters with some questions of his own.

"So where do you come from? I find it hard to believe you are Ionian from birth."

"Bandle City, just like any other yordle." Kennen nodded, he'd been expecting such an answer.

"What brought you to Ionia then?" Feykin shrugged, but the action looked forced and unnatural. Kennen didn't want to blow it and so he dropped the issue, but he made a mental reminder to revisit it later. Their food arrived and they ate in relative silence, seeming a little ore content with each other's company than at the start of their date. Once they finished eating they ordered another round of drinks, the alcoholic impact finally catching up on their smaller bodies as Kennen found it a lot harder to keep himself from smiling. Feykin too her credit was yet to show him a true smile, but she was clearly a little giddier than earlier. He took this as a sign that his questions may be more readily answered, and although he was probably likely to regret it later, there was one playing upon his mind more than any other.

"Something is bothering me if I'm perfectly honest, how is it someone like you is caught all alone on the road late at night, but when she is saved by some stranger isn't willing to hang around long enough to find out why he claimed he'd heard someone calling for help?" Feykin looked away, refusing to make eye contact. Something was bothering her, and Kennen really wanted to know what that was.

"This has been really nice Kennen, can we please not ruin it now?" Kennen frowned, his innate sense of curiosity refusing to let him drop the issue.

"Is someone after you?" Feykin shook her head, sighing to herself.

"It's not that simple, and I'm not about to bring you into this." Kennen shrugged, not in the slightest way content with her answer.

"Well, maybe next time then." Feykin looked over at Kennen, a mixture between confusion and curiosity crossing her face.

"Next time?"

"Well, I've enjoyed this, even if things were a little awkward. Don't you want to do it again some time?" Feykin blushed, mouth sitting slightly agape. Was it really so hard to believe that he wanted to see her again?  
"No, I mean yes! Yes, this has been good and certainly, umm, different. But no I can't see you again." Kennen's stomach dropped, his mood slowly sinking through the floor at those words.

"Look, if it's about your past or whatever, I won't ask." Keykin groaned, leaning back in her chair and running her hand down her face in exasperation.

"It's not that, you've done nothing but be a perfectly accommodating, well, partner. I just can't keep doing stuff like this." Kennen looked prepared to respond, but Feykin silenced him with a raise of her hand.

"And no, I cannot tell you why." Kennen sighed, an uncomfortable silence befalling the two. They finished their drinks and managed to look anywhere in the room but at each other for a few minutes, neither having any clue how to break the ice. Eventually Feykin stood, Kennen following suit as they made their way out of the bar and onto the path outside. It was as busy as it had been at the start of the day, that is to say entirely empty. The pair walked side by side for a while, Kennen not really in any rush to leave and Feykin seeming to enjoy the company while it lasted. They reached a cross roads, Feykin stopping in her tracks. Kennen didn't want to meet her gaze, but he also didn't want that to be the last thing he did with this girl.

"Are you sure you won't reconsi…"

"Temple of the Forbidden Past." Kennen wasn't sure how to respond to the statement, conceding in his attempt at distancing himself and turning to Feykin.

"What about it?" Feykin was looking at her feet, a pinkish tint covering both her cheeks.

"If you want to find me, I'll likely be around there. Goodbye Kennen." And in keeping to her words she walked off, leaving the slightly confused but suddenly overjoyed yordle standing at the crossroads. Once he was fairly convinced Feykin wouldn't be able to see him he let his emotions get the better of him, leaping into the air and sprinting the entire way back to the Kinkou, his energy levels never higher. He still had no idea what to think of the strange girl, but at least he'd convinced her to give him a shot. It was a very good place to start.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kennen was never quite sure how Ionians chose the names for their temples, but he wanted to have a few words with them. Temple of the Forgotten Past? What half-minded historian thought that was a good name for a place so eloquent and beautiful. It was cheesy and didn't make it sound appealing at all. It probably sounded much better in the ancient Ionian tongue, but until he knew otherwise Kennen was going to remain miffed. The temple itself was quite a way out from the main towns of Ionia, and not in a road-less-travelled kind of way. The forest in these parts was dense and dangerous, strange and deadly creatures stalking the undergrowth. Was it possible Kennen considered himself among those? He was strange for sure, only yordle ninja after all, and he was certainly deadly. Needless to say that in spite of the forest's reputation Kennen wasn't concerned about himself, but he did have concerns about another. Feykin had been ambushed by men on the road and needed his help to escape, what on earth was she doing in a place like this? The forest gradually began to clear, opening up to a large stone courtyard, a few crumbling walls still standing. This was particularly old, even by the standard of Ionian temples, Kennen was genuinely surprised that the underground tunnels had survived. He made his way over to the main entrance, a small stone room no larger than a tent with a stone staircase heading below the surface. Torches had already been lit along the path, somebody clearly in the depths. Having a fairly good idea who it was, Kennen began to make his way down, marvelling at how well preserved the whole building was. There were an assortment of corridors running off the main stairwell, most empty or blocked off with stone, but a few showing signs of recent activity. He couldn't resist the urge to snoop around, finding what he assumed to be a makeshift kitchen, as well as a bedroom and, most awkwardly, toilet. Who would have thought the temple had plumbing, or that Feykin was able of setting up a drainage system. He was quick to move on, heading deeper into the temple.

"Dammit, why won't you move?" The voice was unmistakeable, and it didn't take Kennen much longer to reach the bottom of the staircase and find the source of the noise. Feykin's attention was focussed on a blocked corridor, large stone boulders scattered around the room, the largest centred on the door. Feykin was pressed flush up against the largest of them, arms flayed out around it and her head resting lazily on top, eyes closed as though asleep. Kennen was willing to overlook the fact she was topless for the time being, it was surprisingly warm down here.

"Maybe you should try pushing, I've never known rocks to be overly talkative." Feykin jumped up, disappearing behind the boulder as she finally noticed Kennen's presence.

"What the hell Kennen, how long were you standing there?" The ninja just laughed, walking over to the boulder and leaning against the other side.

"I just arrived, don't worry. Do you want me to get you a shirt?" A small hand appeared from behind the boulder, finger pointing towards the far side of the room. Sure enough, sitting on the floor was a simple white shirt, or at least what Kennen assumed was once one. At the moment it was covered in dust and other bits of filth, which if Feykin had been clearing boulders made sense. He grabbed her the shirt, and soon the pair were sitting on a pair of smaller boulders, Feykin having a large drink of water. She looked exhausted, her brow coated in sweat.

"So, care to tell me what you are doing." Feykin groaned, motioning towards the blocked door.

"I need to get into that damn room, on the other side is…" Feykin went silent, clearly considering how much to tell him. There was something else mixed into her expression, was it sadness?

"Let's just say it is something very important to me." Kennen stood up, walking over to the blocked corridor. The boulders weren't immovable, Kennen could tell that with enough strength one could easily push the to the side. Two yordles however was hardly a surplus of muscle power. On the other hand…

"I think I can clear the way." Feykin laughed at this, standing up to join him.

"Of course you can. How about we go for a walk instead? I didn't invite you here to drag you into my work." Kennen shook his head.

"Nonsense, I'm happy to help." He stalked around the large boulder, looking for the weak point he knew would be there. Sure enough, just between the door and the boulder was a small crack, large enough for something to be slipped in. Now he needed a leaver.

"You wouldn't happen to have wooden planks on you?" Feykin disappeared for a moment before returning with, well, not exactly what Kennen had asked for.

"Umm, I asked for a wooden, what am I going to do with this?" Feykin shrugged.

"I snapped my last planks the other day, if you want a leaver you're going to have to settle for a stone one." Kennen took the stone pylon, surprised by how light it was for its size. He slid one end into the gap and pushed, but the boulder wouldn't budge. Feykin just smirked at his attempts.

"You don't think I considered that too?" Kennen wasn't about to be beaten, taking a few steps back and throwing his full body into it. There was the slightest groan as the rock began to come free, but rolled right back where is it had been. He needed more momentum. An idea came to mind, and he winced in advance of what he was about to do. If this worked Feykin had better be happy. He began to walk away from the boulder, past Feykin who was looking at his serious expression with a sense of curiosity. He stopped about twenty meters back from the boulder, turning to face his target.

"You may want to take a step back." Feykin did as was recommended, little arcs of static beginning to come off the yordle's body. Then he was off, practically a blur in the small room. The few torches in the room were extinguished in the wake of the pint-sized rocket, the room being filled with darkness before there was a loud crack. The lights began to come back on as Feykin fiddled around with some matches, jaw dropping at the sight before her. Standing in the doorway casually was Kennen, picking bits of stone out of his fur.

"Well colour me impressed." Kennen smiled, but even Feykin could tell it was forced.

"You better be, that hurt like hell!" The yordle fell to the floor, clutching at his shoulder. Feykin hurried over, inspecting the injured area. She could already see the skin turning a purplish colour, the bruise was going to be really nasty, but nothing was broken. How that was the case Feykin didn't know, hitting something at that speed would have killed most people, yet he had not only survived but also gotten through, relatively at least, unscathed. She leaned down and lightly pressed a kiss against his cheek; he deserved it after all.

"Ok, it's not so bad now." Feykin smiled at him, the first genuine and full smile she'd ever given him. To some degree that made Kennen feel better than the kiss had, the way her face seemed to light up filling him with an incredible warmth. Feykin's attention eventually turned to the now open room, pushing past the few remaining boulders and into the room, coughing a little at the amount of dust hanging in the air. Kennen's curiosity soon outweighed his soreness, and he followed Feykin into the room, using his shirt to cover his mouth. It was pretty plain to be honest, the walls simple stone like the rest of the building. The only thing that really stood out was a small stone podium in the middle, atop which sat a simply vase. Well, Kennen would call it simple, to be honest it looked to be made of gold, but its design was simplistic. It was the vase that Feykin's attention was focussed on entirely, the female yordle kneeling down before the podium, tears in the corners of her eyes. Kennen had so many questions, but could tell now was not the time to ask them. He stepped forward and knelt next to her, able to make out some faint writing on the podium.

"May his visions change the world." Feykin nodded absent-mindedly, head bent in prayer, an act Kennen was rather familiar with. He followed her lead, offering up his generic words once more. Feykin eventually stood, removing the golden urn from its podium. Kennen went to protest but Feykin was quick to silence him.

"He doesn't deserve to sit in this temple, forgotten." Kennen raised an eyebrow.

"He? You mean in the vase is…"

"Ashes, yes. Please don't try to stop me Kennen." Kennen felt taken aback by the accusation. Did she genuinely think he'd stop her?

"I'm not going to stop you, relax. Can you at least tell me a little about this place?" Feykin shook her head, holding the vase close to her body. She was vulnerable and frightened in this moment, and Kennen realised quickly that it was not the time to question her about anything. In fact, it was probably better if he just left.

"I should leave you to it, it's clear this is important to you." Feykin met his eyes, realising how rude she was probably being to the yordle who had helped her twice now in the space of a few days.

"You don't have to leave, I do owe you…" Kennen put his hand up.

"You owe me nothing, and I don't want to ruin this for you. Any chance of us meeting up again?" Feykin thought on this for a moment.

"I'll find you." Kennen frowned at this.

"I could be with the Kinkou, at the Institute, or on a mission. It's probably better if you gave me a location." Feykin just shook her head, not conceding. Kennen sighed, did he actually trust Feykin enough to come find him? He really didn't have a choice.

"Ok, until next time." Kennen put a friendly hand on her shoulder, Feykin looking up at him with tears in the corners of her eyes. He eventually broke the contact and made his way out of the temple, unable to shake the feeling that something was watching over him, guiding him safely out of the forest and back to the Kinkou.

The rest of Kennen's break passed quickly with no Feykin in sight. He hadn't really expected her to find him straight away, but he could always have hope. Shen and Akali returned to Ionia for the last few days, the three catching up on what they'd done over the break. Kennen skipped over the details about Feykin however, not entirely sure why he was uncomfortable talking about it. The three passed the time with training before heading back to the Institute, Kennen enjoying the opportunity to catch up with his other friends. He had a few matches in the first week, but mostly he was free to do as he wished. He wasn't the most popular champion at the moment, which wasn't such a problem; having a lot of breaks gave him even more time to catch up. One person seemed to keep eluding him however, and it took him a week until, quite by accident, he found Tristana. He'd actually been looking for Rumble, the mechanic promising Kennen a duel on the Howling Abyss to help keep his laning ability up to date. He'd found him alright, arguing with Tristana in one of the gardens.

"I said I'm sorry, what more do you want?"

"I want you to tell me when your idea of a fun holiday in Piltover involves spending the whole time staking out Heimerdinger in his stupid workshop! I thought that maybe, just maybe, one of you two yordles would grow a pair and do something with me, but instead of something romantic I got to learn all about Heimerdinger's schedule. Do me a favour, just leave me alone for a little."

"Wait, romantic, but I thought you…"

"Am I interrupting?" Rumble jumped at Kennen's interruption, although Tristana seemed relieved to have any excuse to get out of there.

"Kennen, just who I wanted to see! Come on, let's go talk about that thing you wanted to discuss." A quick wink told Kennen all he needed to know, and he was quick to dismiss his plans with Rumble.

"Cool, I'll see you later for our match Rumble." The mechanic didn't say much, grumbling his agreement before heading off in his own direction. Tristana let out what was something between a sigh and a groan, not sure how to feel about how her holiday had wound up.

"So, Rumble not much of a romantic?"

"Don't even go there. Seriously, next time we have a holiday, come find me first. I don't want to have to go through that ever again." Kennen smiled, although Tristana didn't seem to find it all that funny. She turned to Kennen, a sad smile on her face.

"Seriously though, why didn't you ask me earlier? I was kind of hoping…" Kennen pulled his friend into a hug; she looked like she needed one.

"I didn't ask because I'm an idiot, so sorry about that." Tristana blushed a little at the compliment, wishing her two more determined admirers had half the romantic sense as Kennen. She leant into his chest a little.

"So what did you get up to on your break?" Kennen felt a twisting feeling shift through his gut. There was absolutely no way he was going to mention Feykin, but he wasn't sure he'd feel any better lying to his friend. In the end he just shrugged, brushing off the question nonchalantly.

"Not much really, hung out with the rest of the Kinkou. Pretty boring without Akali and Shen being around to be honest." Tristana smiled.

"Seems both our holidays were a little dull." Kennen smiled back, a slightly uncomfortable silence falling between the two, Tristana a little awkward after the thing with Rumble and Kennen still torn over the whole Feykin thing. Then an idea hit him, it was a little risky but there were too many questions he really needed answered.

"Hey, you still have connections with the Bandle City registry right?" Tristana pulled away a little, a deeply curious look crossing her face.

"Technically yes, you after somebody?" Now was where things got tricky.

"I met a yordle merchant in Ionia, said her name was Feykin. Odd for one of our merchants to travel that far afield, was wondering if you could have a look into her for me." Tristana wasn't entirely convinced, the way she was eying Kennen up and down testifying to that.

"Seems like a lot of work for one merchant." Kennen shrugged.

"She's the first yordle other than myself that I've seen in Ionia, I suppose I'm just curious." Tristana seemed to buy that reason better, nodding her head slowly.

"I'll see what I can find and let you know." The two stayed together for a little longer before Tristana had to leave for a match, leaving Kennen to wander about by himself.

Days turned into weeks, and Kennen found life at the Institute a lot less exciting than usual. Tristana was busy with matches, Shen and Akali were obviously trying to find more alone time, but what played most upon Kennen's mind was that he still hadn't heard a single thing from Feykin. He always had doubts that she'd actually find him, but for it to become a reality was pretty hard to swallow. He considered asking for leave to Ionia, imagining that would make it more likely for her to find him, but it would also mean more lying and potentially more heartbreak. It was a pretty big claim to call it heartbreak, but that was how it felt to the yordle; he wasn't well versed in the art of love. He was sitting in his room, contemplating these ideas when there came a knock on his door, Kennen's heart jumping in his chest. What if it was Feykin? He rushed over to his door and peered out, heart dropping only a little as he saw Tristana on the other side. He was more than happy to see her too. He opened the door, offering her a warm hug in greeting.

"Do you want to come in?" Tristana shook her head.

"I have another game to get too, but I had something to tell you." Kennen raised a brow at this, waiting for Tristana to continue.

"I put in a call with some of my gunner buddies back in the city about this Feykin. You sure she was born in Bandle City?" Kennen nodded.

"At least, that's what she told me." Tristana shrugged.

"Well, if she was born there her name isn't on any records. Maybe there is more to her than meets the eye." Kennen was confused. She had definitely said Bandle City, is it possible she'd lied to him? Well, at least that was one question he could answer, although it did make way to many more questions. Who exactly was Feykin?

* * *

 **As you can probably tell, I am just getting started. Please leave a review and let me know what you think, this will probably be the main story I focus on for a little.**

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 **Until next time friends, BJ**

 **PS: Don't judge my temple names please!**


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